Blake Lively’s team slams Baldoni over Taylor Swift subpoena
Blake Lively’s team has slammed Justin Baldoni’s team’s decision to summon Taylor Swift as a blatant attempt to exploit Lively’s friendship for tabloid attention.
Unbranded – Entertainment
The courtroom in the trial between Blake Lively and It Ends With Us co-star Justin Baldoni could take on the appearance of an affair between the stars.
Lively, who is scheduled to go to trial in March on sexual harassment and workplace misconduct claims against Baldoni, named a number of A-list figures as potential witnesses in newly unsealed court documents filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and obtained by USA TODAY on Friday, Nov. 7.
People, including Lively herself, her husband Ryan Reynolds, Baldoni and her Wayfarer Studios CEO Jamie Heath, and Colleen Huber, author of “Endless Us,” are being singled out because they “likely have discoverable information” that could help her case. However, their inclusion on the list does not ensure that they will be called to testify during the trial.
Lively, who co-starred with Baldoni in the 2024 romantic drama, filed a civil rights lawsuit against Baldoni in December, alleging that Baldoni and Heath engaged in inappropriate sexual behavior both inside and outside the workplace and orchestrated a “smear campaign” against her in retaliation for speaking out. A formal lawsuit was filed in response to this complaint.
Mr. Baldoni took legal action of his own, including filing a $250 million lawsuit against the New York Times for publishing an exposé detailing Mr. Lively’s claims (the charges were dismissed in June). The “Jane the Virgin” alum also countersued Lively and her husband Reynolds for $400 million in defamation, but that suit was similarly dismissed on Oct. 31.
Which celebrity did Blake Lively name as a potential witness?
The list of potential witnesses in Lively’s “Life Is Over” lawsuit is nothing short of Hollywood who’s who.
One of the most famous people featured is pop superstar Taylor Swift, according to court documents. Lively’s legal team said Swift, who is a high-profile friend of the actress, can speak about “any conduct, complaint, or discussion regarding the work environment” on “It Ends with Us,” as well as “the retaliatory campaign alleged by Ms. Lively and the harm she has suffered as a result.”
In May, media outlets speculated that Swift might be subpoenaed in the actors’ case (Baldoni’s lawyers filed a letter of intent to subpoena Venable LLP, a national law firm that has represented Swift in the past, in April). Baldoni’s lawyers later claimed in a letter to Judge Louis Lehman that Lively had previously asked Swift to delete the women’s text messages.
Lively’s former Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants co-stars Alexis Bledel, America Ferrera, and Amber Tamblyn were similarly accused of having knowledge of the incident that led to Lively’s legal case. Shortly after Lively filed a civil rights lawsuit against Baldoni in December 2024, the trio issued a joint statement supporting Lively.
Lively’s unsealed filing also includes actress Emily Blunt. Actor Hugh Jackman. Haim musicians Alana, Daniel and Este Haim. And supermodel Gigi Hadid.
Lively is paying a high price in her legal battle with Baldoni.
The Gossip Girl alum is seeking approximately $161.2 million in damages from Baldoni and his co-defendants in the ongoing lawsuit, according to court documents. This compensation does not include punitive damages, non-economic damages, or attorney’s fees, which have not yet been assigned a fixed amount.
According to the Nov. 5 filing, which was made public, Lively is seeking “more than” $56.2 million in economic damages and “lost profits” totaling approximately $71 million.
As for her earning power, Lively claims she will lose at least $17.5 million in “lost acting and producing opportunities” between the release of It Ends with Us in August 2024 and her trial with Baldoni. The businesswoman estimates her hair care brand, Blake Brown, will suffer a loss of $49 million.
Additionally, Lively is seeking approximately $34 million in reputational damages following Baldoni’s alleged “smear campaign” against her, which is said to include an estimated 65 million impressions of “defamatory statements” made online.
Contributors: Jay Stahl and Pamela Avila, USA TODAY
